Next-gen upgrades have made it possible to play many games in their ideal forms on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but there are still a lot of games that lack these updates. Not every studio has the resources or time to do extra work on games that were published years ago, so it’s not surprising that many titles have been left in the past. All the same, it’s disappointing when a game could clearly look and run better on the hardware with only minor tweaks.

Although adding features like ray-tracing can be nice, the biggest targets for next-gen upgrades are usually performance and resolution improvements. Updates for last generation’s PS4 Pro and Xbox One X systems already do a lot of the heavy lifting, even on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, often making it possible to play in 4K, 60 FPS, or both. Not every game has been this lucky, however, and some are still capped at lower limits despite hardware capabilities that could offer so much more.

10

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Has Aged

The Assassin’s Creed series has been no stranger to next-gen upgrades, with Origins and Odyssey both receiving updates for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s understandable that older titles haven’t received the same love, but in the case of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, it’s still a little disappointing.

Black Flag originally launched for the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it later received PS4 and Xbox One versions that offered a selection of graphical improvements to bring it closer in line with the PC version. Unfortunately, the game is still locked at 30 FPS, so there’s no way for it to feel as fluid as the more recent releases. Black Flag is a common favorite in the series, so having to play a great game over a decade old at an irrelevant frame rate cap can be particularly annoying.

9

Kingdom Come: Deliverance Needs Some Love

Kingdom Come: Deliverance might not be a juggernaut IP like some other games in need of next-gen upgrades, but its grounded take on a medieval roleplaying adventure has attracted plenty of fans. It doesn’t run great on consoles, however, and remains victim to a 30 FPS cap along with other technical issues on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The recent announcement of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has reignited interest in the franchise, and releasing a next-gen update for the first game ahead of the second one’s launch could be the perfect way to build hype. It also helps explain why one hasn’t happened – a smaller studio can’t necessarily dedicate resources to the project while working on a sequel – but it’s still nice to dream of a world where Henry’s inaugural adventure runs like a charm.

8

Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War Doesn’t Feel Great

The Lord of the Rings seems to be gearing up for a slew of new game releases in the future, but recent years haven’t featured any huge hits in the world of Middle-earth. Middle-earth: Shadow of War can consequently still have a lot of appeal, so it would be nice to be able to play a version of the game with a next-gen upgrade. At the moment, however, that possibility is starting to look like a pipe dream.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is capped at 30 FPS on both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, which can make its action feel a lot less fluid than it should. On top of that, both versions can feel like they feature a weird input lag issue, resulting in an extra dose of sluggishness. It doesn’t need any bells and whistles, just some basic fixes to bring it up to par with other games on the systems.

7

Final Fantasy 15 Has Some Compromises

Final Fantasy 15 isn’t in as bad of a position as most other games that deserve a next-gen upgrade. Thanks to its original mid-generation upgrades, it’s able to run at 60 FPS on both PS5 and Xbox Series X. Everything isn’t as lovely as it appears on paper, however, so some tweaks could definitely be useful.

The big problem with Final Fantasy 15‘s performance on the prior generation was inconsistent frame pacing, and attempting to run it in the High mode that focuses on resolution reveals that this problem hasn’t gone away. Opting for the 60 FPS choice is a lot better, but the checkerboard scaling that the game employs can result in an image that isn’t as crisp as it could be. Cleaning up these issues could allow the still-impressive visuals of FF15 to truly shine for the first time on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

6

Nier: Automata Could Look Better

Nier: Automata managed the tricky feat of a 60 FPS target even on base versions of the last-generation consoles, although inconsistent frame rates stopped it from consistently feeling buttery smooth. That performance is completely steady on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but compromises remain in the realm of resolution.

On Xbox Series X, Nier: Automata runs at a dynamic 4K resolution with checkerboard scaling that usually stays on the upper end of its target, but on PS5, the game is still 1080p, and both systems feature aliasing artifacts that aren’t ideal. A next-gen upgrade could get the game to a stable high resolution and frame rate, as the game isn’t exceptionally graphically intensive on the whole. Its world is still hauntingly beautiful thanks to stellar art design, and an update would make it all the more fun to explore.

5

Dishonored 2 Needs Fluid Stealth

The Dishonored games are all about fluid stealth action, so being able to play them in 60 FPS feels much more like the intended experience. Dishonored 2, sadly, runs at 30 FPS on all consoles, which is especially jarring in first-person. This made a lot of sense on the prior generation, as it’s a big graphical leap over the first game’s late-stage Unreal Engine 3 experience, but it’s an annoying limitation on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

It’s not the only Arkane game to run at 30 FPS on PS5, as other Dishonored titles and Prey are similarly limited. The situation is better on Xbox Series X, but Dishonored 2 doesn’t get a leg up on either. The recent and incredibly unfortunate closure of Arkane Austin doesn’t spell well for side work being done on past games, but the remaining Arkane Lyon studio was the sole party responsible for Dishonored 2, so it’s not impossible.

4

Elden Ring’s Next-Gen Upgrade Needs Work

Elden Ring is a bit of an anomaly, as it does actually feature a next-gen upgrade. It kind of needs another, however, as the current attempt is plagued with some serious issues. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions don’t hit a consistent 60 FPS, which might be acceptable if it was simply due to the game’s innate demands. Popping a PS4 disc into the PS5 without upgrading the game, however, will result in a steady 60 FPS Elden Ring performance that shows how good things could be.

The next-gen versions of the game do come with graphical improvements, but those shouldn’t completely override performance possibilities. With the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC on the horizon, Elden Ring could use a revised next-gen update to officially implement performance options that hit a stable 60 FPS, avoiding the frame drops that litter its open world.

3

Batman: Arkham Knight Could Use A Boost

Batman: Arkham Knight got some attention in late 2023 with a new Switch release, but the same care hasn’t been offered to the PlayStation and Xbox sides of things. A new suit based on Robert Pattinson’s look in The Batman was added across all versions, but it’s not quite the same as a next-gen upgrade. When it comes to technical performance, the title is still severely lacking compared to what it could be.

The graphics of Arkham Knight pushed a lot of limits when the game first released, which was one reason behind a PC port with disastrous performance. All these years later, however, it should be more than possible to play the game at 60 FPS on new systems. Even worse, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City both run at sub-60 FPS unless played on an unpatched disc version, as the games had their target frame rate reduced on PS4 and Xbox One thanks to performance struggles.

2

Bloodborne Needs A Definitive Version

Bloodborne‘s status as a PS4 exclusive leaves it in the most frustrating zone of any FromSoftware game, as there’s just no way to play it in 60 FPS whatsoever. Unlike playing the PS4 version of Elden Ring on PS5, running Bloodborne on the PS5 offers no particularly relevant improvements. The game remains locked to 30 FPS, benefiting only from shorter load times thanks to the PS5 SSD and a possible reduction in the stuttering issues that have always plagued it.

Even among juggernauts like Dark Souls, Sekiro, and Elden Ring, Bloodborne is a common favorite FromSoftware game, making this experience particularly frustrating. It’s arguably one of the best console exclusives of the modern era, and it just hasn’t received the same support that titles with similar claims to fame have. In a perfect world, Bloodborne would be on every system, but a next-gen upgrade would be improvement enough.

1

Red Dead Redemption 2 Deserves An Upgrade

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most impressive games to have been released on the PS4 and Xbox One, and it’s practically begging for a next-gen upgrade. The original Red Dead Redemption is playable at 60 FPS on PS5 (Xbox Series X, unfortunately, missed out on that particular upgrade), but its sequel remains locked to its last-generation limits. After years of successive reduxes to Grand Theft Auto 5, it’s disappointing to see Rockstar’s other flagship dodge the star treatment.

The Steam version of Red Dead Redemption 2 received HDR10+ support in March 2024, which some have taken as an indicator that a performance and graphics update for consoles is in the works. Rockstar may just be devoting its attention to Grand Theft Auto 6, but it would definitely be nice to see a next-gen upgrade for Red Dead Redemption 2 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S happen in the meantime.